Unprecedented numbers of Alabamians filed for unemployment following the arrival of COVID-19 in 2020, as the pandemic spurred layoffs and business closings across the state. Many people waited weeks for claims to be processed, leaving some claimants in limbo for weeks or, in extreme cases, months. After the dust settled, the state Department of Labor concluded that its unemployment division overpaid about 4 million in unemployment to residents in 2020 and 2021. Now it’s demanding those payments be returned. Meanwhile, it appears the departmental chaos to which ADOL attributes the delays and overpayments persists; more than 86,000 appeals have been...

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